Australian River Restoration CentreRivers of carbon – Goulburn district river linkages$592,468 (includes supplementary funding of $99,518)

Rivers of carbon - Goulburn District river linkages, builds on the work of the successful large scale Rivers of Carbon project that focuses on connecting and linking riparian rehabilitation projects (undertaken over the past 20 years by various groups) with remnant vegetation and other works. This project is being developed in response to strong community demand to undertake riparian rehabilitation to improve vegetation, reduce sedimentation and improve stock management (a win-win situation proven to be very effective). Outcomes will include connectivity of remnant vegetation (riparian and terrestrial), increased biodiversity and improved water quality. The project will be carried out in partnership with Greening Australia, landholders, South-East Local Land Services, Landcare, and the broader community, who will be engaged in on-ground works and educational activities.

Supplementary works

Rivers of Carbon Goulburn is gaining traction in our focus area, and we will expand on the work that is currently being carried out to include four more landholders and an additional awareness raising event. A community identified area of need is to fund some complementary willow control activities to protect the integrity of projects into the future, and to assist landholders wanting to restore riparian areas. The intention is not to undertake large willow control projects, but to complement fencing and revegetation projects where there are a few willows which may spread with the reduction in stock grazing pressure that often occurs when we fence out riparian areas. Another identified area of need is to address soil erosion at some sites. As with willow control, funding would be provided to complement project works and address small scale erosion (e.g. head cuts, bed lowering etc). We will link the additional activities to a workshop or field day to showcase the techniques being used and to demonstrate how we are investing in these approaches.

Berry LandcareBerry bush links$500,000

Berry Bush Links is a consortium comprising a Landcare group, over 50 private landholders, community and government organisations. These partners will work together to connect existing ‘stepping stone’ patches of native vegetation across tenures in the Berry Corridor of the Illawarra to Shoalhaven GER landscape via revegetation. By controlling weeds and pest animals, this project will restore existing native habitat within the Berry Corridor to support a range of native wildlife including threatened species and endangered ecological communities. Field days and community workshops focussing on seed collection, weed and native plant identification will be used to engage and motivate landholders.

This project represents the NSW half, of a cross-border project seeking to manage corridor connectivity for a range of threatened species. By working with OEH-modelled corridors to recover landscape connectivity and function on private land between Border Ranges and Toonumbar national parks, the project consolidates and buffers a central pinch point in the Tweed/Border Ranges Mt Clunie Moist Climate Change Corridor which traverses the NSW-Qld border. It also improves physical connections with the Iluka-Richmond Range Moist Climate Change Corridor to the south, ensuring the long-term functioning of significant east-west and north-south continental pathways important for migratory species, altitudinal migrants, locally nomadic and endemic species. The project repairs linkages across degraded valley floor landscapes at Loadstone and Roseberry Creek re-establishing access to moist gullies and riparian areas for dependent species, while enhancing grassy habitat for ground-dwelling birds and restoring forested areas to facilitate movement of arboreal mammals between protected areas. The project works alongside other partner investment in threatened species recovery works in the area, integrating activities and consolidating connectivity conservation outcomes.

COSS connections and rehabilitation project$453,414

The Coastal Open Space Scheme (COSS) established in 1984 is unique to Gosford local government area. Areas identified as having significant ecological, cultural and historical value were earmarked for future protection and conservation. Existing COSS lands have been voluntarily acquired with approximately 70% of those lands identified now in public ownership and the remaining 30% privately owned with the long term goal of voluntary acquisition. Council has approximately $3.5 million allocated for this purpose. This project will aim to maintain and improve the integrity of lands identified for COSS and the wildlife corridors that complement COSS lands. The project will use the Land for Wildlife (LFW) program to engage landholders and also move them to higher levels of conservation agreements if they wish. We are also aiming to incorporate landcare/bushcare sites in the region that occur within or buffer the GER/COSS corridor as appropriate. The project will provide bush regeneration to landholders and also on public land. We will also engage landholders and encourage new LFW members through workshops, field days and education/promotion. We will partner with Greater Sydney Landcare Network to support new and existing Landcare groups and the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council as a key landholder.

Far South Coast Landcare Association Inc.Bega Valley corridors, from coast to escarpment: filling in the gaps$500,000

The vision for this project is to connect coastal forests with the escarpment, whilst linking urban corridors with rural revegetation achievements. A coalition of the Bega Valley district’s Landcare groups, dairy and grazing industry groups, eight local town and village communities, Local and State Government agencies has formed to harness and align their collective efforts to deliver this work. A total of 88 hectares of revegetation and approximately 186 hectares regeneration will recover, protect and re-connect riparian corridors, remnant grassy woodlands and wetlands to fill 30 kilometres of strategic corridor connectivity gaps in the landscape, building links between reserved forests. Momentum from large scale biodiversity projects, successful dairy industry engagement, coastal, and urban bush regeneration will be leveraged to meet the growing interest from landholders and community.

Goonengerry Landcare Group Inc.Restoration and linkage of Wilsons and Coopers Creeks$598,548 (includes supplementary funding of $99,344)

Located in the Byron Shire hinterland, north east NSW, this project will enhance connectivity and functioning of native forests surrounding four publicly owned Protected Areas (three National Parks and one Reserve). Exotic species will be controlled and 110 hectares of native forest regenerated by encouraging seed bank germination. Forests of structural integrity, mostly Endangered Ecological Communities that support 47 threatened species of flora and fauna, will be self-maintaining in the long-term. Community and stakeholder connections will promote information sharing while long term protection of land will be achieved through conservation mechanisms, facilitated by a group member trained in Land for Wildlife implementation.

Supplementary works

The project will be expanded by including three new properties and extension to work on four properties in the existing project. The three new properties will strengthen linkages within the project area and increase the geographical scale. On-ground activities on both the new properties and the expansion work on existing properties will follow the same proven methodology for Camphor and Lantana conversion. There will be additional community and landholder engagement and strengthening of links between the consortium partners through further field days. Permanent interpretive signage at Byrangery Reserve will be installed along the walking track with informative topics including the bush regeneration techniques used in the Bush Connect project and some of the threatened species found on the site.

Greening Australia Capital RegionMonaro tree comeback$499,460

Set in the Great Eastern Ranges corridor, this is a pioneering connectivity project for the Monaro region that will apply long term rigorous science, community engagement and cultural linkages in response to the dramatic loss of eucalypts over the last 10 years. Currently there is no regional recovery strategy for the estimated 2000 square kilometres affected, an area larger than the ACT. On ground collaborative action targeting 24 sites will reinstate standing dead-tree rocky outcrops into vibrant living stepping stones through a mix of CSIRO tree provenance trials at strategic locations, cultural trial burning on TSRs and corridor planting incentives for innovative property owners. Results will pave the way for resilient species to cope with a changing environment and the establishment of a Monaro Dieback Network will guide social and financial investment.

Identified as a priority corridor by GER Southern Highlands Working Group, the Wingecarribee River is the major link in the Southern Highlands between the coastal escarpment and Central Tablelands.

Since 1817 the banks of the river have been grazed and cleared and weeds have followed. Weed control, revegetation and protection of remnants is required to sustain the five endangered ecological communities and 11 NSW listed species that remain along its reaches. Wall to Wollondilly will enhance east-west connectivity by coordinating community, government and NGO effort to deliver revegetation, weed management, education and landholder capacity building, from the Wingecarribee Reservoir Wall to the Wollondilly River.

This project will target two high priority fragmented landscapes in the Holbrook region. Key actions will include the strengthening of existing roadways, creek lines and glide-ways (for threatened Squirrel glider), revegetation and fencing works to build new corridors, community awareness activities, and a pilot program engaging the community in managing isolated Travelling Stock Reserves for biodiversity values. Slopes to Summit is an established connectivity conservation group based in the NSW south-western slopes, with a focus on strengthening landscape connectivity for endangered box woodland species. Managed by Holbrook Landcare Network, and guided by scientific input from research partners.

Supplementary works

This supplementary funding will be used to:

Start the community engagement and data collection on Squirrel Gliders in the Jindera landscape, flagged as an additional priority area for Slopes2Summit. The program run by Albury Conservation Company and Woolshed Thurgoona Landcare in the Thurgoona landscape has been very successful in engaging the peri-urban community and we want to start the process of replicating this in Jindera landscape by using nest boxes as a focus of community events, get the community involved in thinking about the impact of urbanisation on threatened species, and used to generate some data on Squirrel Gliders in this landscape.

Expand the on-ground activity to include all the area covered by the Circuitscape analysis (previously just the Woomargama and Nest Hill Landscapes but Circuitscape analysis has also identified the Holbrook Landscape between them as an important focus area) by undertaking a further 35ha of onground revegetation for improving connectivity.

This Jaliigirr project will restore and protect 10 biodiversity conservation sites within identified priority areas of the Coffs - Bellinger - Dorrigo region that will extend and improve the connectivity of our natural landscapes and add to the achievements of the Great Eastern Ranges program. The Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance is a partnership of 20 organisations that work together across all land tenures and communities to improve landscape connectivity. The focus of on-ground works will be on bush regeneration with some areas of revegetation and complemented with capacity building activities - to restore essential and viable habitats for forest-dependent fauna. Works include Coffs Harbour Local Aboriginal Land Council repair to country priority sites and the Dorodong Corporation Indigenous Protected Area. All sites are connected to the World Heritage Area of the region through a mosaic of land tenures including private landholder communities, Junuy Juluum, Bindarri, Dorrigo National Parks, Tuckers Knob, Pine Creek and Orara East State Forests.

Supplementary works

Our project will expand through the addition of two new sites across four new private properties that expand the corridor connections of remnant vegetation [north coast wet sclerophyll shrubby forests and subtropical rainforest] by another 100ha. The project management approach, partnership arrangements and on-ground activities will remain the same as our original project and these new sites will be integrated into our current Bush Connect works program. Each of the 2 sites are in new areas where adjoining landholders with high conservation value remnant intend to create longer-term conservation zones on their properties. One site is proposed by Bellingen Landcare members who own property adjacent to the southern boundary of WHA Dorrigo National Park with significant stands of older-aged HCV vegetation connected by up to 30+ year old regrowth. The second site is proposed by Land for Wildlife members and provides an valuable intact East-West corridor link and buffer between Bellingen Township and State Forest areas.

The project will expand partnerships and geographical spread of the current funded 6-year project. Professional bush regenerators, working alongside Landcare members, will commit to the protection and enhancement of high conservation value vegetation that links key habitat for threatened species. The 16 sites are located within local and regional priority corridors. The project will provide assistance to 4 committed and established Landcare groups and their members as well as public land managers, to rehabilitate remnant vegetation. Restoration work will serve to strengthen species migration pathways and will create fauna refuges while re-establishing linear corridors in predator free areas. Environmental weeds including Lantana, are degrading native plant communities limiting natural regeneration. The capacity of landcare members and community, to manage sites will be enhanced through training in restoration techniques and working alongside professional bush regenerators. Local school children and community will learn about the biodiversity value of their local bush and how they can protect it. Site specific plans will be developed or updated as required, plans will comply/align with the existing POMs and will cover remnant veg values, strategic linkage between existing natural areas, etc.

Supplementary works

A combination of new properties and expansion of works on existing properties will be used to expand this project. The new properties are connected to existing Bush Connect and Community Bush Regeneration (CBR) sites by mapped Lismore City Council (LCC) Habitat Corridors. Four of the 17 existing Bush Connect work sites will be expanded where ongoing maintenance can be guaranteed, additional work sites range from 4.5 to 2ha in size, increasing the total area by 25 hectares. Two new site plans will be written and 5 updated. New activities will include expansion of regeneration and revegetation works as well as nest box installation on new and existing partner properties including Nimbin Central School. Each next box will target a hollow dependent species where natural hollows are absent. Motion detection cameras will be used to monitor hollow activity in later years. In the absence of extension officers, 2 of the more experienced and skilled project partners will be offering their pro-bono expertise to undertake site visits and advise landholders who have indicated a need for assistance in natural area restoration.

Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala Link PartnershipRestoring the glideways of the Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala link$499,396

The Glideways project will work with communities in the Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala Link to restore connectivity for gliding possums. It will:

increase awareness of the status of gliders and other species across 3 districts

co-ordinate landholder commitments to protect and link habitats across the landscape

enhance remnant habitats with nest boxes and plantings with preferred feed species

This project aims to increase the extent and condition of native vegetation within priority locations at Hickeys Creek and Taylors Arm. There is a distinct ‘bottleneck’ for connectivity in the Macleay Range at these fertile farming valleys, and this project will provide stronger linkages between Ngambaa NR/Ingalba SF/Collombatti SF (east) to New England NP/Thumb Creek SF/Mistake SF (west). In conjunction with improving the extent and condition of native vegetation, the intent is to also improve farm management activities with fencing native vegetation areas, providing off stream watering points and the preparation of property management plans. The ongoing protection of the native vegetation on these properties will also be explored in terms of conservation agreements.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Corporation, Nambucca Shire Council and Kempsey Shire Council will focus conservation land management activities in proximity to the private land investment. This will increase the native vegetation condition leading into the proposed corridors and ensure resilience in these key feeder areas.

National Parks AssociationThickening the thin green line of the Illawarra Escarpment$500,000

The Illawarra to Shoalhaven Great Eastern Ranges (GER) region has hugely important biodiversity values, but these values are threatened by fragmentation. This project will target a bottle neck in the Illawarra escarpment that currently has the lowest level of connectivity in the I2S region, between Macquarie Pass and Budderoo National Parks – the ‘East Robertson pinch point’. At present this section is a major barrier to connectivity. This project will increase ecological connectivity through strategic revegetation and conservation agreements, and will increase habitat quality for native species via weed control and pest management across tenure. This project is supported by a consortium of existing I2S GER Partners, new partners, community groups and landholders.

The project aim is to enhance biodiversity and improve sustainable farming by connecting remnants of native vegetation in the Yass area, between Murrumbateman, Jerewa, Binalong, and Bookham. The project area abuts existing initiatives, which include Greater Goorooyaroo and Murrumbateman Linking Biodiversity as well as Rivers of Carbon Yass, and will optimise the outcomes of these projects, and vice versa. Project aims will be achieved by revegetating corridors across private agricultural landscapes to link otherwise isolated patches of remnant vegetation. This project is being developed in response to community interest with numerous landholders already expressing interest in undertaking projects of this nature. Outcomes will include improved biodiversity and habitat, sustainable farming and improved knowledge and behavioural change.